Amid the ongoing offseason for the Philadelphia Phillies, the organization has made a pair of announcements on Thursday, October 15, which are very notable.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski revealed that pitcher Tim Mayza is returning on a one-year deal, and former New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza is joining the coaching staff as third base coach and infield coach.
Mendoza was fired by the New York Mets in 2026 in favor of Andy Green. Mendoza was also once a longtime coach for the New York Yankees to begin his career in MLB, but with this news, it takes Mendoza’s name off a potential manager carousel this offseason, as he’s opted to take a step back from managing.
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Phillies Hire Carlos Mendoza
This is a pretty smart add for the Philadelphia Phillies.
After having a not-so-great infield in 2026, they decide to bring in a ‘fielding guru’ in Mendoza, and the Phillies are quickly figuring out their coaching staff after the signing of Don Mattingly.
Another part of this news is Mendoza’s familiarity with the New York Mets, and their roster could benefit the Phillies in head-to-head matchups with the Mets.
MLBTR.com’s Connor Byrne wrote (about Mendoza):
“Now that he is joining Don Mattingly’s staff in Philadelphia, Mendoza will replace Anthony Contreras as the team’s third base coach and Bobby Dickerson as its infield coach. Contreras is staying with the organization in a different capacity, but the Phillies parted with Dickerson on Wednesday after their infield had a rough year defensively.”
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More on Carlos Mendoza’s Decision to Join Phillies
There’s no doubt that Carlos Mendoza had a pretty rocky tenure with the New York Mets.
That’s likely due to strong expectations, large financial backing, and pressure from the front office to win.
This decision to join the Phillies should alleviate a lot of pressure OFF Mendoza and allow him to be the best version of a coach he can be.
It will be interesting to see how/if the Phillies infield group gets better defensively, and if Mendoza’s decisions at third base have a real impact on certain games, but either way, it seems like a very sound hire for Dave Dombrowski and company.
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Phillies Smartly Add Former New York Mets Manager to Staff